From William Woodfall

[dateline] Dorset-street, Salisbury-Court, March 12, 1774

[salute] Sir

As the Affairs of AMERICA are now agitating in both Houses of the English Parliament,
and as it would be a matter of infinite satisfaction to those subjects of the British
Crown, who are natives and residents of England, Scotland, and Ireland, to know the
real state of political occurrences in America, I thought it would neither be unwelcome
to the English nor American public, if a news-paper published in London was particularly
to profess itself a general channel of American Intelligence, as by means of it, a
variety of { 21 } facts, sentiments, and arguments, respecting the right of taxing the Colonies, would
reach the public eye, which it is not likely to see otherwise; and I was further stimulated
to imagine, that such a publication would prove generally acceptable, as it would
enable people without doors to judge, with some degree of certainty, of the necessity
and rectitude of the conduct of our Senators within. I flatter myself, the plan which
I have thought of adopting, and which, with public assistance, I hope to bring to
perfection, will neither appear to you as impracticable in the first instance, nor
useless in its end. I take the liberty, therefore, of sending you this information
respecting it, and I humbly solicit the honour of your occasional contributions to
it, which latter request I am emboldened to make, as I conceive you have it in your
power frequently to favour me with such information respecting American Affairs as
may be of the highest consequence to every subject of Great Britain. I mean not impertinently
to ask what it would be imprudent in you, Sir, to grant. I urge the matter no further
than good sense and policy warrant; I submit the whole of my intention and request
to your superior judgment, assuring you, that should I be happy enough to find myself
honoured with your confidence, you would have no reason to complain either of my inattention,
my want of secrecy, or my ingratitude.

The publication in which, the plan I have hinted at, is designed to be carried into
execution is The LONDON PACKET, an evening paper published three times a week by Your
most obedient Servant,

1. William Woodfall (1746–1803), later known as a dramatist and Parliamentary reporter, was editor of the London Packet, 1772–1774, (DNB). For JA's reponse to this circular, see below, entry for 14 May.